Pennsylvania school board cancels gay actor’s upcoming anti-bullying talk, citing his ‘lifestyle’
Actor and author Maulik Pancholy was scheduled to speak against bullying at a Pennsylvania middle school assembly. But Cumberland Valley school board members canceled it. Critics say it's homophobic.
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Actor and children’s book author Maulik Pancholy was scheduled to speak against bullying at a Pennsylvania middle school next month.
But Cumberland Valley school board members canceled his appearance Monday, citing concerns about Pancholy’s activism and “lifestyle.”
Critics say the move was homophobic — Pancholy is openly gay and came out in 2013 — and have launched a petition to reinstate the event.
Who is Maulik Pancholy?
Pancholy is an award-winning actor, appearing on TV, films, and Broadway.
Some of his best-known roles include Jonathan on 30 Rock, Sanjay on Weeds, and the voice of Baljeet on the popular Disney animated series, Phineas and Ferb.
He is also a children’s book author, penning two stories about gay Indian American boys grappling with bullying and self-discovery while growing up in small Midwest towns.
In 2014, the actor was appointed by then-President Barack Obama to serve on the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, where Pancholy cofounded a campaign to combat AAPI bullying. On his website, Pancholy describes this role — along with his involvement in several similar AAPI awareness, Pride, and anti-bullying campaigns — as “activism.”
He has spoken at schools about bullying and diversity, according to his website.
Another Pennsylvania school — Tohickon Middle School in Doylestown — praised his speaking engagement.
“Your message of accepting and celebrating our differences is one that is sorely needed,” a testimonial from the school on his website said. “The assembly and Writers Workshop were both beautifully done. For the rest of the day teachers stopped me in the hallway to thank me for arranging your visit.”
What was the assembly for?
Pancholy was scheduled to speak at a May 22 assembly at Mountain View Middle School in Cumberland County.
“Each year, our leadership team at Mountain View Middle School schedules an author presentation as a unique educational experience for students,” a school district spokesperson told Penn Live. “The author often offers a keynote address, and sometimes provides opportunities for book purchases as a part of their visit.”
Why was Pancholy’s middle school talk canceled?
At the Cumberland Valley School District board meeting Monday evening, members voted unanimously to cancel Pancholy’s talk, citing concerns about his activism and the LGBTQ+ characters in his books.
“If you research this individual, he labels himself as an activist,” longtime board member Bud Shaffner said at the meeting. “He is proud of his lifestyle, and I don’t think that should be imposed upon our students, at any age.”
School board member Brian Drapp said at the meeting he worried that Pancholy’s assembly could break the district’s policy about not hosting overtly political events. That rule was adopted following backlash the district faced when a high school within its district hosted Donald Trump for a 2016 rally, according to PennLive.
The school board members admitted they didn’t know what Pancholy’s talk would be about. But Shaffner said he didn’t “want to run the risk.”
What have school board members said?
Kelly Potteiger, who is also a member of her local chapter of the right-wing activist group Moms for Liberty, said she was concerned Pancholy would discuss his children’s books, which center LGBTQ+ characters, or his own experiences with “anti-bullying and empathy and inclusion.”
“Again, it’s not discriminating against his lifestyle, that’s his choice, but it’s him speaking about it,” Potteiger said.
Jevon Ford said the fact that the event was happening during school swayed him to support canceling it, but that he would support an evening appearance where community members could decide whether they wanted to go.
Board President Greg Rausch initially dissented, saying, “I’m not going to sit there and discriminate against an individual because I don’t know what they want to talk about,” but ultimately supported the move to cancel the event.
How has the community responded?
Parents, students, and community members blasted the cancellation, calling the decision “homophobic.”
Brooke Ryerson, an LGBTQ+ high school sophomore who attended Mountain View Middle School, told Today.com that she viewed it as an attempt to silence queer students and the LGBTQ+ community.
“They’re sending that message that they don’t want our identities in the school,” Ryerson said.
Ryerson and her mother plan to attend the next school board meeting, on May 6, to speak out against the cancellation.
“To have someone with Maulik’s life experiences would have been inspirational for our students,” said Trisha Comstock, whose two sons attend Cumberland Valley schools. “It is important that we teach our children about diversity and acceptance from an early age.”
Comstock launched a change.org petition in hopes of reinstating the assembly. It’s collected more than 1,600 signatures so far.
Fellow Cumberland Valley schools parent Brittany Hadley wrote on the petition that she was excited when her child came home with a flier announcing the assembly and that she was “deeply angered” to see it called off.
Has Pancholy said anything?
Thursday evening, Pancholy put out a statement addressing his disappointment in the school board’s decision and his appreciation for the community rallying around him.
“When I visit schools, my ‘activism’ is to let all young people know that they’re seen,” Pancholy said. “That’s the power of books. They build empathy. I wonder why a school board is so afraid of that?”